Hatch wants to cut U.N. funds if Palestine status upgraded

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012.

Richard Drew, Associated Press

Summary

Sen. Orrin Hatch wants to cut off U.S. funding for the United Nations if it upgrades Palestine's current status.

SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Orrin Hatch wants to cut off U.S. funding for the United Nations if it upgrades Palestine's current status.

Citing press reports, Hatch said the U.N. General Assembly may soon vote on whether the Palestinian authority’s status will be upgraded from an observer “entity” to an “observer state.” The Utah Republican filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to eliminate funding for the U.N. should that happen.

“Increasing the Palestinians’ role in the United Nations is absolutely the wrong approach, especially in light of recent military developments in the Middle East,” Hatch said. “Israel is one of America’s closest allies, and any movement to strengthen one of its fiercest enemies must not be tolerated.”

Hatch's amendment follows legislation he introduced last year, the Solidarity with Israel Act, that is designed to discourage the General Assembly from upgrading Palestine’s status. Any increase in Palestine’s status could directly impact the ability of the Palestinians to manipulate such U.N.-affiliated organizations as the International Criminal Court, he said.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, joined eight other GOP senators in co-sponsoring the amendment.

Popular Comments

Mr Hatch, the United Nations was formed to bring countries together.Your
divisiveness is what's wrong with the world.

.....AND, there are
NO "good guys" in the Middle East. Every religion claims the same
land, claims
More..

7:15 p.m. Nov. 28, 2012

Top comment

J-TX

Allen, TX

The UN is an anachronism. We have been funding 80% of it for decades. Time to
get rid of this money pit. What have they done for US lately?

7:33 a.m. Nov. 29, 2012

Top comment

Vaughn J

Kearns, UT

The United Nations has become a giant system to enhance the objectives of
non-democratic states. The ability of Russia or China to prevent taking action
against Syria, or Iran while at the same time promoting causes such as the
Palestinian
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Dennis Romboy is a reporter for Deseret News where for the past 20 years he has covered a variety of beats including state and local government, human services and the 2002 Olympics. He spent six years as a special more ..